"We won't be making changes to the whole group in January, but we will be trying to bring in a certain player to strengthen a certain position," said Ramos during a recent interview. That position is most likely to be one of the centre-back births, with Ramos thought to want to add experience to a backline that has conceded 29 goals in sixteen league games.
It will also come as a further disappointment, but no surprise, that Ramos doesn't seem to rate our chances of a top six finish this season. He prefers instead to treat this season as transitional, with his immediate goal being survival. "My first priority is to save this season and lay the groundwork for next season. The players need to rebuild their confidence and believe in themselves again."
Sensible words from a manager who seems determined to stress the reality of the situation the club has found itself in but the possible ramifications of a season without European football at White Hart Lane can only be speculated on. Just how much more difficult Ramos and Comolli would find attracting the calibre of player that the club requires in order to close the gap on the top four clubs in the country is difficult to say. Failure in this respect would certainly lead many to question whether the club could keep hold of key players such as Dimitar Berbatov and Ledley King.
What is clear is that Ramos wishes to wait until the end of the season before he can assess the squad and begin to mould it to his liking, with the coach admitting that he "must wait until the end of the season to make a full analysis of the squad". It's not all doom and gloom, however. The noises from the club are positive and many of the senior players have come out in support of the new head coach and the system he is implementing. Hopefully their faith in Ramos will bind them firmly to the club during these testing few months.